AUCKLAND TELEGRAPH OFFICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20917, 6 January 1930, Page 8

AUCKLAND TELEGRAPH OFFICE

THE RECENT DISMISSALS. STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, January 4. The following statement was made this afternoon by the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) concerning the dismissal of certain men in the Auckland Telegraph Office.. “I have taken the opportunity. of seeing the official papers, and it is guite clear that the charge made against the officers and held proved, by the magistrate was of divulging the con tents of telegrams passing through the office. Everyone will realise the great importance of maintaining secrecy in the telegraph office and there is no doubt that the service rendered by the telegraph offices would be of little value both commercially and privately if the strictest secrecy were not maintained. The law of the country is, and this is confirmed by the law officers of the Crown, that the secretary of the Post Office has complete control of the staff and his decision in disciplinary matters can be reviewed only by the Board of Appeal, which board the dismissed men have to approach. A previous Parliament put this law into' effect with the .object of ensuring nonpolitioal control of the State services, and the Government has no authority to rcs£lnd or to deal with the charges against these officers. Under the Act it is removed from the control of the Postmastergeneral or any Minister to deal with.